Last month ANA sparked a controversy by airing an ad that featured two
Japanese actors speaking in English about “changing the image of the Japanese
people.” At the end of the commercial one of the men wears a blond wig and
comically large, fake nose. When people (mainly foreigners) started complaining
to ANA, they began apologizing directly to anyone who called to
complain, but continued running the ad unaltered. As the outrage grew, they
eventually cut the foreigner costume and an exchange about how foreigners like
to hug but Japanese do not from the commercial.
I’ll let you watch the original ad and decide for yourself whether or not
it is racist and in what way:
The ad brought international attention to stereotypes many in Japan hold about foreign cultures, but those stereotypes are by no means a new thing. In
fact, they are pretty much par for the course in Japanese media. I can think of lots of
examples, but I’m just going to focus on one for now.
There is an anime called “Hetalia Axis Powers” that personifies the
countries of the world to tell the history of WWII. As is often the case with anime, the voice actors record
“image songs” for their characters. These songs (and the show itself) are clearly meant to be funny. I think comedy provides excellent insight into the mindset
of those who find it amusing, though.
**Disclaimer (before any anime fans get up in arms) I am not criticizing
the show Hetalia, its creators, voice actors, or viewers. I am merely using it
as a lens to point out stereotypes portrayed in Japan that some people believe. I have met many Japanese
people who do not think in stereotypes. I have also met many people who say things
like, “You’re too quiet to be an American!” or, “You're a foreigner, how do you know how to use chopsticks!?” to me.**
So, let’s learn about racism and foreign stereotypes in Japan through anime
songs!
The Good
...or at least not exactly negative.
Great Britain
The song entitled, “The Gentleman that Never Loses” points out the
following:
The British are chivalrous and smartly put together. They believe in the
importance of manners and tradition as well as a sharp wit.
Also they believe in fairies, curses, ghosts, magic, superstitions, and
supernatural phenomena.
In, “Let’s go to the Pub!” we learn that:
It rains everyday, but they do not use umbrellas, because they are “British
gentlemen.” They go to the pub to eat fish and chips, drink, and put curses on
those they don’t like. Also, they still haven’t forgiven America for leaving
them.
France
France’s image songs are
called, “Be Embraced by the Tres Bien
Me” and “The Magnificent Paris”
Both songs are about the following:
The only place in France is Paris. And it is beautiful. The people are
romantic and constantly drinking wine. The rest of the world is enchanted by
France, and longs to become its prisoner of love.
Russia
It’s cold there. Very cold. It is dark. They drink vodka to forget their
troubles (like problems with other countries). Some choice lines from the songs
include:
“It’s cold enough to freeze Swan Lake,
but I’ve gotten used to it”
“I hope the Baltics still like me
Don’t bother me, Belarus
Drink some vodka and then there are no more tears”
Also here is a list of things from Russia people have heard of: Cossack
dance, borsch, piroshky, matryoshka dolls, and the Kremlin.
The Bad
...and goofy.
China
China is a proud country with 4,000 years of history (compared to Japan’s
meager 2,000 years) and tons of historical and cultural significance such as
the Silk Road, the Great Wall, and Peking duck. Did we mention their food is
really good?
Anything that sounds complimentary in these songs, however, is negated by
the fact that China is the only country that speaks Japanese with a goofy
accent and strange grammar.
The song “Ni Hao China,” is a mixture of Chinese and Japanese, all
pronounced with that silly “Chinese” accent.
This, however, has to be the most
insulting example:
The Japanese word for the country of China is Chūgoku. The character China says, “Chūgoko.” So,
China cannot even pronounce it’s own name correctly.
(Meanwhile all the other countries speak normal Japanese, but their songs
are peppered with very poorly pronounced words in
English/French/German/Italian/Russian. How’s that for prideful hypocrisy?)
In the song “Aiyah, 4,000 Years,” China reminisces about its great, strong
past, while trying to insist that it has not lost all significance in the
modern world.
“I long for the world I once created for myself...
Ni Hao Ma? My body now aches all over
Maybe I’ll try making a new type of sweet”
China also makes reference to Japan:
“The child I found in a bamboo
grove
You’ve grown up strong and powerful”
What this all boils down to is the idea that
Japan = Superior
China = Not a threat
USA
These song are so ridiculous because of the amount of “English” in them
that I offer the full lyrics as written in the official Hetalia character image
song score book, translated by me with the words that were originally in
Japanese in italics for clarity. The
only meaning I can glean from this is that Americans have a hero/superiority
complex, are loud and obnoxious and are fat because they eat nothing but giant
hamburgers all day, every day.
“W-D-C~World Dancing~”
Giving up is Nonsense! This sky
A red line with a shining star.
Cross the
borders between countries, sadness Good-bye!
Stuff your
face with HAMBURGER
Now, Everybody!
Dancing!
Washington, District of Columbia
D.C. Oh!
Charging
headfirst! With bravery and justice All right!
1-2-3 & Stand up!
Freedom! Oh!
1-2-3 & Stand up!
Freedom!
I make sure
not to read the situation Going My Way
That is STYLE brimming with VITALITY
Ride a UFO watch a movie Hot! Night!
Our PARTY cake is the color of the world! Join us!
1-2-3 & Stand up!
Freedom! Oh!
Use a MACHINE to diet, the results: All right!
We fly our
flag proudly Oh
Cross the
borders between countries, sadness Good-bye!
Stuff your
face with HAMBURGER
Now, Everybody!
Dancing!
Washington, District of Columbia
D.C. Oh!
*Not recorded in the official lyrics are the spoken lines, which include
America shouting, “Yes we can!” to a background of “The Star Spangled Banner”
riffs.*
“HAMBURGER STREET”
U-S-A Oh Yeah!
Aren’t I so
cool, get it on
H-B-G Oh Yeah!
I’m the world
standard, going on
I only have a
map of the USA
I can’t sleep
if I see something scary
A Cute and Fight nice Guy?
U-S-A Here We go!
U-F-O Oh Yeah!
It’s my Best Friend, “Tony!!”
U-M-A Oh Yeah!
The more
unidentified the more exciting Dream on
I never skip
the ice cream after a meal
I don’t try
to read the situation, eh-heh
Big and Many is a given
GIVE ME MORE HAMBURGER!
When I’m
happy it’s HAMBURGER
When I’m sick
it’s HAMBURGER
If you put
one on your head, you feel instantly better
HAMBURGER STREET
I’m the world’s
hero!
HAMBURGER STREET
I’ll go if
it’s for justice Yeah!
HAMBURGER STREET
I’m counting
on your backup Boys&Girls
HAMBURGER STREET
I don’t
acknowledge opposing opinions, HA HA!
WOO-HOO
R-E-D HYA HO!
Of course red
is my color, Because
U-S-A Oh Yeah!
If another
country toes the line Power Down
I can’t
forget my COOL transformation
I don’t think
about things once I’ve made them, eh-heh
I don’t care
if you say I'm a fatty
GIVE ME MORE HAMBURGER!
When I’m
alone it’s HAMBURGER
During a
conference it’s HAMBURGER
I change the
seasonings everyday, so I never get sick of them
HAMBURGER STREET
I am the
leader of this conference!
HAMBURGER STREET
Super sized
strategy, Yeah!
HAMBURGER STREET
Get into the
party spirit Boys&Girls
HAMBURGER STREET
I won’t take
any criticism from England
If you liken
the world to a bun,
The other
countries are the
Cheese,
lettuce, tomato, onion
Ketchup,
pickles, and mustard
And then
there’s the main event
Everyone’s
favorite, the hamburger
That is me, America
“HERO BURGER, it’s on sale and
getting rave reviews!!”
HAMBURGER STREET
I’m the
world’s hero!
HAMBURGER STREET
I’ll go if
it’s for justice Yeah!
HAMBURGER STREET
I’m counting
on your backup Boys&Girls
HAMBURGER STREET
I don’t
acknowledge opposing opinions, HA HA HA HA...!
WOO-HOO
The Axis
...we’re all friends here, right?
Italy
Italians love to eat. In fact that seems to be all they can think about.
One song, called “Let’s Boil Some Water,” is just about how much Italy
loves pasta.
Highlights include:
“The source of my energy is 100% durum semolina”
and
“Pasta, pasta, pasta, pasta, pasta...”
Then there's “The Tasty Tomato Song,” with the repeating refrain: “Buono! Tomato buono tomato buono
buono, ooo! Tomato!”
The rest of the song talks about how wonderful tomatoes
are and scolds other countries for not eating enough or using them incorrectly.
Bonus side note: This show’s
title, “Hetalia,” is a portmanteau of the words “heta” (unskilled) and “Italia”
(Italy). The main gag of the show is that Italy was the weak one among the Axis
powers that couldn’t get its act together, throwing a big wrench in their world
domination plans.
Germany
Germans are strict, disciplined, cold, and incapable of having fun. And
naturally eat only sausage and potatoes.
The first song, titled “The German Hymn: I was Made in Germany” includes
the following sentiments:
“Clean your room well.
No complaining.
Maintain the status quo.”
“I always read the manual through.
Exceptions are not allowed.”
“Don’t waste your day off.
Taking it easy is not allowed.”
“Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit (Unity
and right and freedom)
I really want to eat a sausage...
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
I want to eat one covered in mustard.”
(We later learn that Germany also wants to eat mashed potatoes when he
thinks of these core values)
The other song is just about how lonely and isolated Germany feels at being
forced to play the villain all the time.
Japan
The song, “Pardon Me, I’m Sorry,” portrays Japan as a small, quiet country
that has always been fighting some battle or another. The people continue to
hold on to traditional Japanese beliefs, like reverence for nature, taking
baths, and working overtime. They are constantly apologizing and believe
“bashfulness is a virtue.” However, they cannot ignore the urge to Westernize,
as in these examples:
“I love new things.
I love trendy things even more”
“Fluttering black hair,
Tomorrow it will be mustard yellow”
And here are just a few excerpts from, “The Land of the Rising Sun, Zipang”
“Allow me to introduce myself, I am Japan. My hobbies are reading the
situation and keeping my remarks in check.” (spoken)
“I’m trying hard every day
To live up to America’s unreasonable demands.
This looks gross,
I can’t eat this, but it’s mine now”
“Some days I think I can’t keep pace
With such a young country,
But I haven’t forgotten
The spirit of the samurai.”
“If you need something miniaturized, leave it to me.
I’ll even make a whole assortment of colors.
When you work in two dimensions, you don’t get soiled.
Well, except for your heart.”
“As soon as the country was opened,
There was a shocking, immediate change,
We put all our efforts into wearing Western clothes and shoes!
But we soon got too used to them.”
“People tell me to say what I really mean,
But I think more deeply than they do,
So I can’t just convey my mind through ‘yes’ and ‘no.’”
I want to give them points for teasing Japan about the same things outside
critics point to, like acting over apologetic, and showing a lack of creativity
and individual thought. However, I’m not sure if the songs mean it to be a negative
thing. Seems more like they are blaming the West, specifically the US, for
forcing them to be that way (and forcing them to fight a war in which they did
absolutely nothing wrong) and criticizing Japan for allowing themselves to
change.
Most of these stereotypes simply expose a general lack of real knowledge
about foreign countries (i.e. Paris is the only city in France people have
heard of and Germany = sausage), but some hint at a deeper, darker (willful?) ignorance about world
history and Japan’s place in it.
I’m not going to be a
downer and start talking about the countless times Japanese politicians and media
representatives have been chastised for ignoring, explaining away, or denying
Japan’s wartime atrocities like comfort women and the Nanking Massacre.
I’ll just say that, in my opinion, viewing the people of the world as a bunch of
stereotypes instead of individuals who are human just like you is a
dangerous and damaging outlook that can lead to racial conflict, no matter what
county you were born in.
To end on a lighter note, here is a bonus racist ad that hasn't been in the news:
This ad that is all over the JR train system right now is for an English
conversation school. The large text reads, “In the global age, the world is your rival. The deciding
factor is conversation skill.”
So, yes, Japanese men, if you learn English you will be able to steal white
women away from their white boyfriends. (I had no idea I had become such a hot commodity in Japan).
Let’s not even mention the fact that this insinuates the white woman
couldn’t possibly be able to communicate with the Japanese man in Japanese. No
one seems to think this image is strange, but I’m pretty sure if this ad showed
a white man stealing a Japanese bride from a Japanese man, someone in Japan
would be upset.
